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F22 / F23 2 Series (2014 - Current) The 2 Series coupe is the replacement for the E82/E88 1 series coupe. Production starts in November 2013 on the 228i (N20) and M235i (N55) coupes. Look for them in dealerships in February 2014. The convertible F23 2 series will follow in the fall of 2014.

You should use a stock E46 330Ci, not one with M bumpers, lowered with M wheels.

Why? That's not a stock 2 series either ...

Frankly, what's interesting is the E46 was first hitting the drawing boards in the mid 90's, and it doesn't look that much different than the new 2, which would've begun being designed in the late 2000's.

It's as if the auto industry has to keep reinventing the wheel - more models, more marketing and market research to create more models, but in the end, the basics are still the same; what's good remains good.

I was passed by a 428i yesterday on I 287 in NY. It was the base model (I presume) and it was quite awkward looking - the roof was cut low and sleek, but the rear was hiked up and the car sat tall off the ground on skinny, tall base tires.

How fast a car laps the ring or the virginia raceway with a professional driver behind the wheel is a meaningless metric for someone purchasing a car to drive everyday.

Young men sure are gullible to this kind of thing, paying much more than they can afford to just have bragging rights. Proof that good marketing is alive and well.

A good M3 can be had for little money today, and wold provide performance I guarantee no one here will ever fully extract from its E46 platform.

... and it'll look better doing it (subjective thought, that last part)

You asked why buy the M235i. It's faster, brand new, more reliable (no expensive engine tuneups), better features, and even if you don't think it's better looking, you see E46 M3s every day, I don't even look at them anymore.

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You asked why buy the M235i. It's faster, brand new, more reliable (no expensive engine tuneups), better features, and even if you don't think it's better looking, you see E46 M3s every day, I don't even look at them anymore.

Actually, I didn't ask "why buy the M2 series", I know why people will buy them. I was, however, countering your assertion older M3's were not worth buying because they were slower and beat up.

I thought I addressed the "it's faster" part by wondering how meaningful lap times around the ring are ....

As for the rest of it:

You can't know how reliable the 2 series is until it's been on the road awhile.

Better features? Depends on what you want from a car - bluetooth is nice, but if one finds a nice M3, the money saved can be put into a BT add-on.

The "it's new and rare" part doesn't matter to me either, I never tire of a nice design, and E46 M3's are pretty, and always will be - eventually perhaps even attaining classic stature